Santa Cruz County road crews are scrambling to stabilize and open emergency and commuter roads in the San Lorenzo Valley that could not withstand last weekend’s three driving rainstorms.
Earlier this week Gov. Jerry Brown declared Santa Cruz County a state of emergency to help offset what is likely to be $12 – $15 million in countywide damage, according to Robin Musitelli, analyst for Supervisor Bruce McPherson, who represents San Lorenzo Valley.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 24, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District had received 54.77 inches of rain during for the current water year (Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017). During the entire 2015-16 water year the district recorded 49.47 inches of rain. Rain gauges across the mountain communities, from Scotts Valley to Felton, recorded similar January deluges.
County supervisors have also asked the state Department of Transportation to help get federal aid to repair damage to the county roads, bridges and other infrastructure. Rep. Anna Eshoo toured some of the heavily damaged roads in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Supervisors this week asked the county Public Works Department to prepare a prioritized list of road repair projects and funding sources for consideration at the Feb. 7 meeting.
“Their priorities are heavily traveled roads and roads where people don’t have another way out,” Musitelli said. “Bear Creek, Zayante and Nelson roads all fit the bill.”
Well-traveled roads in need of repair include Bear Creek Road, Glen Haven Road, Glenwood Drive, Lompico Road, Nelson Road, Upper Zayante Road and Love Creek Road. Actual repair will take until the end of summer, according to the county.
On Love Creek Road in Ben Lomond a large mudslide with multiple trees destroyed what had been the Love Creek Water Fall. The slide happened about 150 yards south of the site where a quarter-mile-wide mudslide on Jan. 5, 1982 buried homes and killed 10 people.
PG& E has restored power to the area, but mud still fills up half of the creek, which could run off on to Love Creek Road if more rains come.
One 30-foot section of Nelson Drive in Scotts Valley was washed away on Saturday and Sunday, Jan.21-22, by rain-swollen Ruins Creek, which blew through a large metal drain pipe.
Nelson Drive is located outside of the Scotts Valley city limits, and is maintained by Santa Cruz County. County officials say they are working to restore emergency-vehicle access to the residences on the road.
The alternative road to these homes is through Mission Springs Conference Center, but it is only open between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. “Since it is a one-lane road most of the way, people have been at each end to support traffic control,” said resident Janis Keyser, who on Monday was unable to return home after a late meeting at Google.
A washout collapsed a second section of Bear Creek Road Friday afternoon, Jan.20, near Summit Road, a few days after ominous cracks had appeared in the pavement. The westbound lane remained open to traffic because the road was used as the primary southbound detour from Highway 17 Friday night until about 4 p.m. Saturday after a massive mudslide closed both southbound lanes of the freeway just north of Redwood Estates.
A secondary structure next to a home on a hill overlooking Cadillac Drive in Scotts Valley was red-tagged as dangerous on Monday, Jan.23, the day after most of the adjacent hillside, with several trees, slipped 40 feet down to Cadillac Drive, exposing support columns, and blocking both lanes of the private road. One lane of the road was opened the next day.
Ben Lomond Fire Protection District received an emergency call late in the afternoon on Friday, Jan. 20, that a man’s car was trapped beneath a tree. When firemen arrived they could barely see Howard Loveless’ blue, late-model Toyota because it was covered with ivy in the northbound lane of Highway 9 just north of Highland Park.
